Scripts for a Date Rape: Similarities and Differences in Males and Females Scripts.

Clark, M. Diane; And Others

While the issue of rape evokes strong responses, confusion seems to occur not when a blitz or stranger rape occurs, but when an acquaintance or date rape occurs. This study assessed acquaintance rape scripts given a preset scenario. Subjects included female college students (N=32) and male college students (N=19). Subjects were given a scenario that included a conversation between two roommates with instructions to write down the events that had led up to the conversation. After completing this task, all subjects were asked if they agreed with the roommate's labeling this behavior as a rape and how confident they were about their response. Five scripts were elicited with the most common script being an early date rape script. None of the scripts mentioned a female with low self-esteem or one who wanted to start a relationship. Fraternities were also not mentioned as part of the scripts. Also the scripts did not include the idea of the male paying for the date so that the female owed him sexual favors. In some write-ups it was mentioned that the male did not understand the intent of the female's struggles. Significantly more subjects agreed with the roommate that this activity was a rape. When agreeing with this statement both males and females were confident of their responses. (ABL)